City to pursue grants to extend Airport Road to Business 23
City officials in Rogers City have taken the first step toward seeking grant funding for the extension of a yet-to-be-completed Airport Road, to Business 23 (Petersville Road). It?s another attempt by the city council at getting heavy gravel-hauling semis out of downtown Rogers City. The city hired planning firm Beckett and Raeder, Inc., of Ann Arbor to coordinate the grant application process, with a fee not to exceed $5,200.
Mayor Beach Hall said it became one of the most important discussions at last month?s ?visioning session? conducted by council. Hall said council members want to see the project completed and the road opened to through traffic. ?I think that it?s appropriate that we move ahead with this project,? said Hall.
AIRPORT ROAD, east of US-23, is to be paved by contractor Santa Fe Corporation when the weather warms up, but until further funding is secured, it?ll be a dead-end. Airport Road will be the only road in and out of the industrial park lots south of the Presque Isle County Airport.
?It will require grants, obviously, for some construction costs,? said Hall. ?We are prepared to go ahead and at least review grant applications for funding.? Hall said Beckett and Raeder is aquainted with the project, working on a similar plan to open a road to truck traffic south of Rogers City. That plan included the abandoning of Petersville Road for Michigan Limestone Operations, which wanted to mine close to the main building. The idea faced fierce public opposition, but ultimately was nixed because it proved too costly to relocate a natural gas line. The estimated cost of the extension project, which includes engineering, could be about $450,000. The required matching grant from the city would be $90,000, but hasn?t been budgeted yet, according to city manager John Bruning. ?It wasn?t in this year?s budget,? said Bruning. ?If we are successful, we will have to come up with the 20 percent cash match. We can take it from the general fund.?
IN OTHER matters to come before council: ? The city has received the first in a series of checks from the estate of Henry and Peggy Hoffman, who bequested funds to assist with the maintenance of the Avenue of Flags on Michigan Avenue. The first check was for $8,300. Bruning was to attend a Rogers City Chamber of Commerce meeting Wednesday (yesterday) to discuss the matter further.
? D/Lt. Rick Schultz of the Huron Undercover Narcotics Team was at th
? Hall introduced honored guest Jacob Gapczynski, who has served in the U.S. Army in Iraq. ?We?re glad to see you and we are glad you are home,? said Hall. ?Thank you,? Gapczynski said from the back row of seats in council chambers.
? City attorney Mike Vogler told council he intended to contact a bankruptcy attorney regarding Oglebay Norton filing for Chapter 11 protection, sometime this week. The settlement with the tax tribunal was about $175,000, which was to be paid over two years. ?We?ll wait to hear from you as to where was stand,? Hall said to Vogler.
? The board of review sessions will be March 15, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and March 16, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. State law requires that one session be conducted three hours after 6 p.m.